Stage runner-up Lauren Stephens still solidly in the women’s race lead as Walter Vargas retains men’s top spot
Adam Lewis (APC) won stage 3 with Conn McDunphy second while Carlos Garcia won the sprint for third behind the breakaway(Image credit: Tour of the Gila stage 3 men)
In a stage that typically ends in a bunch sprint, bold moves were rewarded on stage 3 of the Tour of the Gila, where the breakaway made it to the line in both the women’s and men’s Inner Loop road race on Friday.
The Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment team continued to dominate the women’s race, winning all three stages so far in New Mexico. This time it was Grace Arlandson who won for the squad, claiming her first UCI win on the 74.1-mile route ahead of teammate Lauren Stephens and Kira Payer (Speedblock p/b Terun).
The women’s peloton shattered before the first QOM, 11 miles into the race at the Continental Divide in Pinos Altos, where a group of 10, which became eight after a crash, stayed clear to the finish. The selection included first, second and third on GC in Stephens, Ashley Frye (Competitive Edge Racing), and Emily Gilbert (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28) as well as four Aegis teammates. The peloton rolled in 11:24 later in historic Ft Bayard, with race commissaires extending the time cut.
Defending champion Stephens has a commanding lead in the general classification with 1:48 on Frye and 2:43 on Gilbert.
Grace Arlandson (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) claims the win ahead of race leading teammate Lauren Stephens on stage 3 of the Tour of the Gila 2026 (Image credit: Tour of the Gila)
In the elite men’s race, Adam Lewis took the win ahead of his APS teammate Conn McDunphy on stage 3, the pair having broken clear of the peloton together. It was the first UCI victory for the 30-year-old Briton.
Carlos Garcia (Olinka) took third in the field sprint, crossing the line 1:41 back.
Walter Vargas (Medellín-EPM) finished safely in the bunch to hold the overall lead, with a 17-second advantage over Henrique de Silva Avancini (Localiza Meoo-Swift) after the 76.2-mile loop, which weaved through Gila National Forest and Mimbres Valley. Diego Camargo (Medellín-EPM) sits third at 41 seconds, while Modern Adventure's Kieran Haug and Tyler Stites are fourth and fifth, 45 and 51 seconds back, respectively.
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The five-stage race continues on Saturday with Downtown Silver City Criterium and then concludes on Sunday with the Gila Monster Road Race.
Lyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing. She founded Podium Insight in 2008, quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world. She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans. She is proud to have covered men's and women's news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site. Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites.
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